Speeches by Anderson.

“The Secretary of State has already answered the question on the roads. It is important that we look at and address all parts of the infrastructure that are holding Northern Ireland back in any way.”

“That is why the Secretary of State has been extolling and making clear how important the SPS agreement is. We are not taking our foot off the pedal in any way towards that. It is not only agri-science, but life sciences that are leading the way for Northern Ireland and the UK and across the world. We want to ensure tha…”

“I am aware of them. I have met with the Bishop of Armagh, and I have talked to both cathedrals in Armagh. Just two weeks ago, I was in St Anne’s cathedral, hearing from Trevor and the team about that and giving what advice I could—that is both from a Government perspective, and I have also raised money for community pr…”

“I saw that. What was started by a violent act against a girl then led to police being taken away from the frontline. It is a devolved matter, so it is up to the Executive to work, with their funding, but that is why I particularly welcome the additional funding being given to PSNI to bolster support for its work on vio…”

“I am delighted that you as a Committee have decided to look into this area more, because that statistic is shocking. There are many areas that we can work on together. The Northern Ireland Office is working with the Executive, community organisations, the public and the police in Northern Ireland. One of those areas is…”

“We are working on an independently led official history. That might be what you are referring to. There is the digitisation programme for the National Archives as well. For that independently led official history, we are working with academics on what would be the best form for that programme to be working and going fo…”

“You are absolutely right to ask about the wider issue of reconciliation. Ever since my appointment, I have been asking lots of community groups what reconciliation means for them. I am sure you were asking that when you were in your inquiry. There is the really important aspect of justice for those individuals and fami…”

“We can create the environment in which that can happen. We cannot tell the individuals what to do, but we can certainly play a very large role in the environment in which it can happen, and we can do that from the top to the bottom of society as well. So it is about leadership at the top—the leadership by the First Min…”

“I am Fleur Anderson. I am the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.”

“I am not privy to all the deliberations and projects that were considered but then not put through to the public sector transformation board, so I do not know; that would be a question for the Executive, as would the proposal of a sentencing council. I will not give any opinions on that because it is a devolved matter,…”

“I beg to move, That this Committee has considered the draft Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007 (Extension of Duration of Non-jury Trial Provisions) Order 2025. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Twigg. I thank all Members who have come this evening to discuss this important piece of legisl…”

“I thank Members for those contributions, which I will go through one by one. The independent expert is currently being recruited. The UK Government and the Government of Ireland have agreed to appoint that expert, who will operate within the existing Independent Reporting Commission framework and be asked to undertake …”

“The process is now up to talking with potential candidates. We want the expert to be in place as soon as possible. I will not give a precise date, but I thank the hon. Member for raising that. In 2023, the Director of Public Prosecutions issued 20 certificates for non-jury trials and refused three, and, in 2024, issued…”

“I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend about tackling attitudes. I have met and I am supporting many groups, and I will highlight two that I have visited. The excellent Foyle Family Justice Centre in Derry/Londonderry supports victims, and the St Joseph’s Boys’ school in Creggan is doing fantastic work, with the suppor…”

“I thank the hon. Member for raising this issue, and he is absolutely right that what we do needs to be rooted in what happens on the ground. I met the executive unit working with the police to tackle perpetrators, and they are seeing evidence of that. The legislation for our jurisdictions can be joined up—that is absol…”

“With New Decade, New Approach, the UK Government committed to make funding available for a range of projects aimed at supporting community and reconciliation initiatives. My officials regularly discuss these commitments with their devolved counterparts. On addiction services, it is now for the Northern Ireland Departme…”

“The hon. Member is a powerful advocate for his constituents, for the Northlands centre, and for the need for services to tackle the scourge of addictions. I join him in recognising the need for support for people with addictions, but given that this matter is devolved, it is now up to the Department for Health to prese…”

“Rates of violence against women and girls are higher in Northern Ireland than anywhere else in the UK. This Government are committed to working with the Executive to tackle this emergency, and I have met and supported many politicians and organisations across Northern Ireland that are doing just that. The Under-Secreta…”

“The Conservatives’ energy policy now, as over the past 14 years, fails to bring down bills, still relies on expensive oil and gas, fails to invest in green jobs, and fails future generations on climate change. This Government are investing in the new technologies we need. Two weeks ago I was delighted to join the Under…”

“Workforce challenges are a huge part of public service transformation. Workers across Northern Ireland do fantastic work in health, education and justice, and they need to be supported to do that and to be representative of the community. Workforce issues are devolved, but they are important, and supporting our workfor…”